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How 2 clear up epoxy that hasn't gone off

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Dave.B View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Quote Dave.B Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: How 2 clear up epoxy that hasn't gone off
    Posted: 25 Jun 12 at 10:03pm
I've begun building the core for my Farr centreboard and routed a groove around the edge to fill with graphite filled epoxy to create a hard edge.
I picked it up tonight to do a bit more shaping and ended up with a sticky black hand. The leading edge epoxy has not gone off at all (and this is after 2 weeks!). I remember mixing it casually without proper measuring - Big mistake.
It is so soft and sticky it's getting everywhere and I'm concerned that if I don't get it all off it'll bung up my tools, affect my finishes and be a real pain.
I've dug the soft stiuff out and used some acetone with limited success
 
Any other ideas ?
Thx
 
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winging it View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Quote winging it Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Jun 12 at 10:12pm
heat gun then clean up with acetone?  
the same, but different...

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JimC View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Quote JimC Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Jun 12 at 11:18pm
Vinegar has been known to help with uncured epoxy, but I imagine you need to clean up every traceand then more when you've finished.
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Post Options Post Options   Quote mongrel Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Jun 12 at 7:10am
Cotton wool! Wink
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Post Options Post Options   Quote RS400atC Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Jun 12 at 7:59am
If what you are trying to get it off of is waterproof, a cream cleaner like cif can be effective.
Otherwise, iso-propanol or meths.

You can use a green kitchen scourer to scrape up a lot of it.

Never guess epoxy mixing!
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Rupert View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Quote Rupert Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Jun 12 at 8:46am
You can buy specific epoxy solvents which might work, but to begin with you are probably stuck (!) with mecanical means - scrape off as much as you can first, before adding anything that will spread it further.

Glad I'm not the only one who has done this...
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Post Options Post Options   Quote alstorer Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Jun 12 at 9:05am
fro, a pro point of view, acetone and its near cousin methyl ethyl ketone (MEK, CH3COC2H5) are the best cleaners in most situations, though I'd advise scraping (with a palette knife if possible- something big, flat, thin, rigid but not sharp) as much as possible off first.
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Post Options Post Options   Quote Contender 541 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Jun 12 at 12:28pm

MEK can be bought from your local DIY store as ABS pipe joiner - once you smell it you will never forget it (its actually quite nice)

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Post Options Post Options   Quote alstorer Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Jun 12 at 1:01pm
the other one we use a lot, many for soaking hand tools (not fast acting but has high boiling point so it doesn't evaporate quickly) is gamma-butyrolactone, but that's harder to get hold of ever since it made a Class C...
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Post Options Post Options   Quote Jack Sparrow Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Jun 12 at 3:46pm
Originally posted by Dave.B

I've begun building the core for my Farr centreboard and routed a groove around the edge to fill with graphite filled epoxy to create a hard edge.
I picked it up tonight to do a bit more shaping and ended up with a sticky black hand. The leading edge epoxy has not gone off at all (and this is after 2 weeks!). I remember mixing it casually without proper measuring - Big mistake.

It is so soft and sticky it's getting everywhere and I'm concerned that if I don't get it all off it'll bung up my tools, affect my finishes and be a real pain.

I've dug the soft stiuff out and used some acetone with limited success

 

Any other ideas ?

Thx

 



The only thing I can think of is, as you are going to be fairing down eventually to a hard epoxy mix. Is to sacrifice a router bit to the great epoxy god and cut a slightly bigger groove and do the same with some 40 grit sand paper to take off the rest of the sticky stuff off the front edge. Maybe do this the other way round - sand face first, route second. So your router doesn't get mucky. That is if no sort of chemical is working.
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